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Progland was founded by John Gabbard in 2005. It's purpose has been to provide you, the music community with the latest music and dvd reviews. It will continue to be your link to the most popular music reviews in the progressive world.

 

Syn-Original Syn- 1965-2004

Label - Umbrello
Reviewed by: Jason Carzon
Genre: Prog Rock
Country: England
Language: English
Length: NA
Release Date: September 15, 2005
Label:
Umbrello
Band Members: Andrew Pryce Jackman / keyboards (1-11, 14) Chris Squire / bass (2-5, 7, 10-14), guitar (8), acoustic guitar (9), vocals (11ii), backing vocals (7)
  Steve Nardelli / vocals (2-5, 8-10, 11i, 11iii, 14-19) Martyn Adelman / drums (10, 13, 15-19)
  Peter Banks / guitar (2-5, 7, 11, 15-19), backing vocals (15-19) Gunnar Hákonarson / drums (2-5, 11)
  Denny Ward / vocals (6) Ayshea Brough / vocals (7)
  John Painter / guitar (10) John Wheatley / guitar (12, 13)
  John Bowring / drums (12) Gerard Johnson / keyboards (15-19), backing vocals (15-19)
  Steve Gee / bass (15-19) James Nisbet / guitar (17-19)
     
  CD1 -  
Track Listing: 1.)-Andrew Jackman: Mallard Way (0:45) ii. Part 2: Legs Diamond
  2.)- The Syn: Grounded (2:22) iii. Part 3: Reprise
  3.)- The Syn: 14 Hour Technicolor Dream (2:55) 12. The Selfs: I Can't Explain (2:09)
  4.)- The Syn: Created by Clive (2:30) 13. The Selfs: Love You (2:56)
  5.)- The Syn: Flowerman (2:36) 14. The Syn: Flowerman (original recording) (2:33)
  6.)-The Syn with a 24-piece orchestra: The Last Performance of the Royal Regimental, Very Victorious and Valiant Band (3:25)

CD2 -

15.)-The Syn: Illusion (14:26)

 

  7.) Ayshea with the Syn: Mr White's White Flying Machine (5:16) i. Part 1: Illusion
  8.)-Narsquijack: Cadillac Dreams (3:22) ii. Part 2: Something's Going On
  9.)- Narsquijack: Sunset Boulevard Lament (2:49) iii. Part 3: Illusion (Reprise)
  10.)-The Syn: Merry-Go-Round (2:59) 16.)-Grounded 2004
  11.)-The Syn: The Gangster Opera (excerpts from the rehearsal tape) (5:51) 17.)-Time and a Word: (i) Time and a Word
  i. Part 1: Chorus -(ii) A Tide in the Affairs of Man
    -(iii) Time and a Word (reprise)
The Review

The Syn were a psychedelic/beat combo which existed for a short period in the mid-60's, making a handful of singles and well recieved live shows before disolving. They were: Steve Nardelli(vocals), Chris Squire(bass), Peter Banks(guitar), Andrew Pryce Jackman(keyboards) and Gunnar Hakonarson(drums). Of course, Squire and Banks went on to make history with the original YES, Andrew Pryce Jackman went into composing and arranging for orchestra, and Nardelli left the music business altogether for the clothing industry. The only thing I really knew about them is that they were one of Squire's pre-YES bands and that they had some song called 'FLOWERMAN' or something. Some 40 years after they first formed, the Syn reformed, and the SYNDESTRUCTIBLE album came into being- one of the best rock albums of 2005. Now there is a new DVD, talk of a live album and eventually a new studio album for 2006. Not bad for some geezers who reformed for old time sake. But what is amazing is that the Syn's music of the 2000's sounds nothing akin to the flower power combo they once were, and is oddly quite contemporary sounding. If a band comes back from oblivion 35 years later, might as well be with something substantial, which is what SYNDESTRUCTIBLE was.***

ORIGINAL SYN 1965-2004 offers up material from the beginning, which includes the singles plus other recordings from that era. The second disc is new material from 2004, recorded after the SYN had regrouped. Listening to the 60's material, one can see some of the vocal tricks, guitar and especially bass guitar textures which would eventually serve YES well, a few years later. Squire's trademark bass sound is already mostly formulated and is quite audible in the mix on a number of these tracks. That said, the music is certainly from that era. Talking with Nardelli briefly after a SYN show in January, he said something along the lines of 'You heard that song 'Flowerman' that we did tonight. Well, that was what we USED to sound like!'. Indeed, the original Syn material won't turn the heads of anyone looking for YES in large doses. These are formative years. The material is dated indeed, but should be taken for what it is: an artifact from its time. Even better, it can even be enjoyed. The Syn sound as vibrant and up-and-coming as The Nice or Pink Floyd with Syd from that same era. So, those into 60's psychedelia will probably enjoy this.***

The second disc is from 2004, as the Syn regroups. Chris Squire was not part of this, but Peter Banks was. Banks' trademark guitar captures the spirit of the old SYN, while Nardelli steers the band into the more current direction of SYNDESTRUCTIBLE. He and Banks are they only original members on the secod disc. The 2004 material is worth the price of the disc alone. A shame it wasn't longer. Two more tracks and maybe it could have been a new album in its own right. But disc two presents the Syn as an entirely new band, almost as if the 60's Syn never existed and this was a new band. This material is closer in spirit and in sound to the original YES. And the 14-minute remake of TIME & A WORD has little to do with it. So here we have two versions of The Syn: the 60's psychedelic beat combo, and the melodic progressive rock band of the mid 2000's. Both vibrant, both musical and both highly enjoyable.***

disc one: MALLARD WAY: short classical piano intro from Andrew Pryce Jackman, showing that he could have joined YES at any moment back then.***

GROUNDED: spotty rocker which screams 60's. You can almost see the tye-die psychedelic colors swirling around. It was a single.***

14 HOUR TECHNICOLOR DREAM: another single track which was the B-side of FLOWERMAN. Don't kick me if I mention the Monkees or something. ***

CREATED BY CLIVE: a very whimsical and English sound. Kinda Syd Barret's Pink Floyd vibe.***

FLOWERMAN: the Syn's most known single is in some ways the band's 'ROUNDABOUT'. This sums up the band and maybe the whole 60's psychedelic thing in one swoop. It's also a decent pop song.***

THE LAST PERFORMANCE OF THE ROYAL REGIMENTAL, VERY VICTORIOUS AND VALIANT BAND: arranged by Jackman, this long titled one is another whimsical foray into a somewhat 'theatre' sound with marching band imagery ala Sgt. PEPPER.***

MR. WHITE'S WHITE FLYING MACHINE: guest lead vocals by a lady called Ayshea. This almost gives the track a CURVED AIR sound, or maybe even- don't kick me- 'Georgie Girl' or something'. More 'band' orchestration from Jackman, and the theme of 'Mallard Way' reprises itself.. And Squire's trademark bass sound is there in full power.***

CADILLAC DREAMS: the next batch of tracks dip slightly in sound quality. This one is a Springsteen-like track with just piano and vocals, maybe a little Lou Reed. Here, Nardelli shows his soulful side.***

SUNSET BOULEVARD LAMENT: another demo-like recording, this one a Dylan sound. Just acoustic guitar and Nardelli.***

MERRY GO ROUND: the Who shows their influence for this one, but there's an earlier 60's feel as well. The drums sound fantastically dated, as if recorded inside of a trash recepticle- like a lot of those doowop records of the early 60's.***

THE GANGSTER OPERA: the same goes for here. This is the band's 'epic' track(at over 5 minutes- for the mid 60's anything over 5 minutes was probably considered an epic track). The cozy sounding dialogue section in the middle reminds me of some really early Zappa/Mothers material. This is mostly a slab of R&B flavored material, done up medley style.***

I CAN'T EXPLAIN: a cover of the contemporary(for then) hit from The WHO, and the first recording of Chris Squire, then 16 years old.***

LOVE YOU: bopping pop song with the same vocal backing harmonies which would serve YES well in a few years.***

FLOWERMAN: this is the original version, not too much difference.***

Disc two: ILLUSION: this 14-minute track is worth the price of admission alone. With Yes floundering around without any new material in years and on the brink of disbanding, The Syn have in effect now replaced them. This is the type of epic Yes haven't been able to do in some time- and the Syn didn't have the Yes torch handed down to them so much as they slapped it out of Jon Anderson's cosmic hand. This one goes through a number of musical sections: a rocking main theme, a beautiful and spacey middle section, an acoustic passage, an instrumental workout for Banks, and the reprise of the main theme. Banks couldn't help but insert a snippet of the riff from Yes' ASTRAL TRAVELLER. Pretty happening track.***

GROUNDED(2004 version): a superior version of the 60's Syn track which is more modern in feel with a killer rhythm. What strikes me about this track is how a track written in the mid 60's would sound this fresh. The Darkness could have a hit with this. But this is what I like about the current SYN- Steve Nardelli could be in his 30's instead of his 60's. This is a vibrant song which could have been concocted by someone half his age. It shows that some music can transcend time. Perhaps it's good in some ways that the Syn never became a big rock jaugernaut like the Stones. Less baggage, less temptation to play the hits and live in the past or to live up to an image. Durning that Syn concert, they only played three old tracks: this one, 14 Hour technicolor, and Flowerman. Fortunately for them, the Syn have more of a future than a past, as they only existed for a short time in the 60's. This means less preconceieved ideas of what they could or should do. I'm sure a lot of older bands would kill to be in a position like this. It's almost as if the Syn started in 2004.***

TIME AND A WORD: The Syn don't remake this early Yes track as much as reinvent it. Here, the early sweet Jon Anderson love anthem is transformed into a 16 minute epic which is neither drawn out nor pretentious. Not only do they redo the song, they develope it into something more. Steve Nardelli fortunately does not try to duplicate Jon Anderson's high vocals, instead offering a laid-back often spoken sound. It starts as an atmospheric anthem, and goes into an added 'movement' called TIDE IN THE AFFAIRS OF MAN which follows in a Yes style blended with the direction the Syn would continue with SYNDESTRUCTIBLE. When they do return to the main theme, it's all the more powerful.***

Peter Banks left the SYN through the recording of these tracks, leaving a scathing message about his departure on his webite. This is a shame, as his guitar playing is always, always, tastefully executed and underrated. He displays a masterful technique of order and chaos, often at the same time. Would have been great to see him and Squire reunited in this fine ensemble. In the meantime, I hope Nardelli- with or without any Yes member involvement- continues to keep the current SYN alive and happy, for that is what I hear on SYNDESTRUCTIBLE and on this second disc- music that is both alive and happy.***

 

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